Schools asked to report on ‘gifted’ programs

A question by Holden parent Chris King during Monday’s School Committee public hearing led to most of the discussion around the table that evening.

As a school volunteer, he was worried that some academically advanced children in elementary school may be bored with lessons they already know, and wondered how they can be more academically challenged. Knowing the district doesn’t have any money to spare, he said parents might be willing to offer their services in classrooms for so-called “gifted and talented” students.

Sterling mom Lisa Call agreed when she stepped up to the mike, also questioning how students can be assigned homework exceeding district guidelines.

Longtime Wachusett Regional School District Committee member Norman Ploude of Sterling said the committee has discussed establishing a gifted and talented program several times, but has never come up with a proposal.

“I would not like to see students taken out of class” for gifted and talented instruction, he said. SIMCOs (School Improvement and Modernization Councils) should monitor identifying such students within classrooms, he said.

“The School Committee’s goal is to provide an education to help all children meet their potential,” said Sterling member Sherry Conrad.

School Superintendent Thomas Pandiscio said parents have all kinds of education values and it’s not the School Committee’s or central office’s realm: “It’s school-based and even classroom-based,” he said. “We’re one of the highest achieving districts in the highest achieving state … our scores are comparable to European countries,” which he said have better educational achievement scores than the United States as a whole.

Princeton committeeman Robert Imber said it sounded like the district is missing some communication at the school level, including administration and school councils.

Holden member Steve Hammond requested a report by Nov. 1 on school councils’ efforts to assess how their building provides challenging activities for its higher achievers, specifically what works and what doesn’t.

Holden member Robert Carter said it’s up to each teacher to develop a curriculum for these learners, adding that the district doesn’t have the money to hire additional staff for a gifted and talented program. He noted that the issue only pertains to K-8 students, because Wachusett Regional High School has an Advanced Placement program to challenge students.

WRSDC Chairman Margaret Watson of Holden, a retired educator, said the classrrom is a microcosm of the world in which the student lives.

“It reflects the community, all-inclusive,” she said. “We don’t segregate students on the basis of ability in elementary and middle school. … We’re an integrated society.” She said the same objective holds for special education students – as much as possible to mainstream them in regular classrooms, not segregate them. Taking high or low-achieving students from classrooms “is not compatible to an American education,” she said.

Pandiscio said as Deputy Superintendent Jack Locke’s recent report on district practices indicated, principals and teachers don’t see many problems with students frustrated or bored.